Rotor



June 29, 193 7.

W. BIEHN *Y 2,085,411

ROTOR Filed Sept. ll, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 are mounted on a vertical axis.

Patented June 29, 1937 UNTE STATES ROTOR Warren Biehn,

Philadelphia, Pa.

Application September 11, 1936, Serial No. 100,236

`10 jective the provision of a rotor device of this character above noted, which includes an arm that is pivotally mounted, and which arm carries at a point removed from the pivotal mounting a blade; the blade being oscillatable with respect cl5 to the arm, and which blade is adapted to offer an appreciable resistance to a uid current in one position so as to cause rotation of the arm, while the blade in another position offers less resistance so that it may move against the fluid current.

More particularly this invention has in view the provision of a rotor of the character above noted, which includes stops for limiting the oscillating movement of the blade. These stops are intended to control the oscillating motion of 25 the blade so as to insure of the latter being in properly effective positions, depending on the relationship of the blade with respect to the iiuid current.V

Another more detailed object of the present 3U invention is to provide a rotor of the character above described in which the arm is mounted on a vertical axis and extends on both sides thereof. At points substantially equi-distant from the pivotal mounting of the arm a pair of the blades Suitable instrumentalities are associated with the actual mounting of the arm to transmit power incident to rotation thereof.

Yet another object of the present invention is lo the provision of a rotor of the character above described, in which the blades which are carried by the arms are mounted on a horizontal axis. When this arrangement is availed of, it is important that suitable stops be provided to properly control the oscillating movement of the blades,

as will be hereinafter described in detail.

Another more detailed object in View is the provision of a rotor device of the character described in which one of the blades carried by the arm is mounted on a vertical axis, while the blade on the other arm is mounted on a horizontal axis.

Still another important feature of the invention is the manner of mounting the oscillating blades. These blades are disposed with their pivotal axis close to one end of the blade, with the short side of the blade being weighted to provide a counter-balancing effect. This shorter end is also perfectly streamlined, to provide a nose which may move against the fluid current with a minimum of resistance. With this arrangement the effect of the uid lcurrent on the longer side of the blade assures of the latter assuming a position which is substantially in alignment with the direction of movement of the fluid current.

Various other more detailed objects of the invention will in part become apparent, and in part be hereinafter stated, as the description of the invention proceeds.

The invention, therefore, comprises a rotor of the character described which consists of an arm that is pivotally mounted on an axis, with which is associated suitable instrumentalities for transmitting the power caused by rotation of the arm. The arm carries, at points substantially equidistant from the pivotal mounting, oscillating blades. These blades may be disposed on either a horizontal or Vertical axis, and suitable stop elements are associated therewith for controlling the oscillating movement, so that in one position the blades will offer resistance to a iluid current to cause rotation of the arm, while in another position a minimum of resistance is oiered to permit the blades to move against the iluid current. blades on the arm to cause this movement is an important phase of the invention.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a rotor made in accordance with the precepts of this invention. In this view the blades are shown as mounted on vertical axes,

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, in which the blades are shown as mounted on a horizontal axis,

Figure 3 is another side elevational showing similar to Figures 1 and 2, in which one blade is mounted on the vertical axes, while the other is mounted on a horizontal axis,

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure l,

Figure 5 is a detailed view bringing out the manner in which the air current affects one of the blades to move the same into position oiering resistance to the fluid current, and

Figure 6 is a similar showing bringing out the The particular manner of mounting the manner in which the fluid current affects the blade to put the same into position in alignment with the stream of the iiuid current.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, a vertical upstanding axle member is shown at it as constituting a pivotal mounting for the rotor. It is obvious that the invention is not to be limited in this respect, as any appropriate type of pivotal mounting may be availed of.

This member I is shown as formed with a pointed extremity II. Pivotally mounted on the member II) is a rotor assembly which is referred to in its entirety by the reference character R. lThis rotor assembly comprises a framework consisting of a lower transversely extending arm l2 which carries a bearing assembly, indicated at I3, which is disposed about the shaft I!) for reducing to a minimum friction at this point.

Upstanding from each extremity of the arm I2 are end pieces I4 which are perfectly integral therewith. At the upper side the end pieces It are bent inwardly, to provide portions I5 which are substantially parallel to the lower arm I2. These portions I5 terminate in inclined portions I6, which meet to define a nose II, which on its under side carries a bearing member I8 that reA ceives the pointed extremity II.

Adjacent to each extremity of the lower arm I2 is an enlarged portion, designated I 9, which is provided with a recess (not shown) which is intended to constitute a bearing. The portions I5 on the upper side have similarly formed enlarged portions 23 substantially opposite to the enlarged portions I9, and these portions 2l) are also provided with recesses intended to constitute bearings.

A shaft, indicated at 2l, having pointed extremities is positioned with the pointed extremities disposed in the bearings defined by the recesses in the portions i9 and 2l). A blade element, designated 22,' is carried by the shaft 2l, and is in a nonrotatable relationship with respect thereto. This blade 22 is formed with a short side 23, which is weighted, as indicated at 24, and a longer side 25. The weighted side 23 is intended to substantially counter-balance the longer side 25. It is noted that the shorter side is rounded to provide a streamline effect.

Adjacent each of the blades 22, which are carried by the rotor assembly R and preferably disposed on the upper portions I5, are a pair of bracket members 26, from which depend stop elements, shown at 2'I and 28. These stop elements are preferably made from some suitable material which will provide cushioning effects, such as rubber, as the blade 22 is designed to strike thereagainst.

The structure of the blade above described for one end of the rotor assembly is duplicated at the other.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 4, 5 and 6, the direction of the uid current in all instances is indicated by the arrows. As shown in Figure 5, when the fluid current is coming in the direction of the arrows it engages the blade 22, and due to the longer side 25 offering a larger surface area to the uid current, the blade will be swung from the full line position into the dotted line position in which it is maintained by the stops.

In this position it offers a maximum of resistance to the fluid current, and the effect of the latter' is to move the same, causing a rotation of the rotor framework R. As this rotating movement is continued the blade will be moved around into a position in which it begins to move against the iuid current, as is shown in Figure 6. Under this condition the fluid current will affect the long arm 25 of the blade to move the same into the dotted line position shown in Figure 6, in which it is in substantial alignment with the stream of the current.

While the forms of the invention illustrated in the drawings show the recesses and pointed extremity arrangement for reducing friction incident to oscillation of the blades, it is understood that other bearing devices might well be employed for the same purpose.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2, a somewhat modied form of the invention is shown, in which the rotor assembly R is illustrated as comprising the inclined portions 29 which extend downwardly from the nose at 30. These inclined portions terminate in end pieces 3i, which are bent over on the bottom side into bottom portions 32.

At a point spaced from the shaft the bottom portions 32 are bent upwardly as indicated at 33, and these vertically extending portions 33 terminate in the radially extending portions 34 that are connected to the bearing I3. In this arrangea ment it is the portions 3l and 33 that are provided with the bearings for the blades which, it is notable, are mounted on a horizontal axis.

The operation of the rotor shown in Figure 2 is substantially the same as that developed in Figure l, in that the blade on the right hand side of Figure 2 is shown as offering resistance of the current to cause rotating movement of the rotor, while the blade on the left hand side of Figure is shown in a position offering a minimum of l resistance.

It might be well to consider that in each of the positions of Figures 1, 2 and 3 the rotor is developed as being in position, with the fluid current coming from the direction of the reader.

In Figure 3 still another modified form is shown, in which one of the blades is mounted on a vertical axis, while the other blade is disposed on a horizontal axis. In this View the rotor frame R comprises a bottom arm 35 which extends from each side of the bearing I3, the latter being formed with an extension 36 which may be availed of as a means for transmitting the rotative power of the rotor to any suitable mechanical device.

On one side the arm 35 is turned upwardly into an end piece 36 which on its upper side is bent back towards the shaft I@ to provide a portion 3l that is substantially parallel to the bottom band 35. One of the blades 22 is mounted between the portions 3T and 35 on the vertical axis, in a manner heretofore described.

The rotor frame has a nose 38 which is connected to the portion 3l by an inclined part 39. On the other side of the latter an inclined portion l5 connects the nose 38 with an end piece @i which extends downwardly below the blade of the arm 35 where it is bent to define a bottom portion d2. The latter extends inwardly towards the shaft I5 and is bent upwardly to provide a portion 33 that is in substantial alignment with the end piece 4I. Another blade 22 is shown as being mounted on a horizontal axis between the portions 4I and @3. At its upper end the portion 43 is connected to a bearing I3 by continuation of the arm 35.

While preferred specic embodiments of the invention are hereinbefore set forth, it is to4 be clearly understood that I am not to be limited to the exact constructions illustrated and described, because various modications of these details may be provided in putting the invention into practice within the purview of the appended claim.

I claim:

A rotor of the character described comprising a shaft, a rotor frame carried by the shaft, said rotor frame being formed with a pair of bearing surfaces on one side, a blade carried by said rotor frame and disposed between said bearing surfaces, said blade being disposed in a substantial parallel relationship with respect to the shaft, a second set of bearing surfaces on the frame on the opposite side of said shaft, a second blade carried by said frame and disposed between said second mentioned set of bearing surfaces and being disposed with its axis normal to the said shaft, and stop elements for limiting oscillating movement of each of said blades` WARREN BIEHN. 

